Steam engine



Dec. 15, 1925.

c. R. GIBSON STEAM ENGINE Filed May 28, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORWITNESSES ATTORNEYb Dec. 15 1925. 1,566,201

c. R. GIBSON STEAM ENGINE Filed May 28, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSESHIM INVENTOH CHA EL ESEG/BSON A TTOR/VEYS' Dec; 15, 1925' C. R. GIBSONSTEAM ENGINE Filed May 28, 1921- s Sheets- Shoot 5 INVENTOR- 0/4 245/66/4550 Br I ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Dec. 15, 1.925.

V 1,566,261 UNITED PATENT omen oHAnL-ns n. GIBSON, or ornomnn'rnonro,ASSIGNOB or. ONE-HALE r WILLIAM. H.-

, Bannis er, or nvansvr nn, INDIANA.

STEAM ENGINE,

' Application filed m 28,

Improved Steam Engine, of'which the following 1s a description.

My invention relates to steam engines employing sliding valve means andit has for its general object to provide an auxiliary cutoff valve.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for the operation of theauxiliary valves by means controlled by the movements of the cross head.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide trip means for thecut-off valves adjustable to vary the tripping action and te'providemanually controlled means to throw the tripping means into or out ofaction at will. I

The above and other-objects as will appear are attained by the cut-offvalves and their operating and controlling means hereinafterparticularly described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, it being understood that the drawings are merelyillustrative of one example of "the invention.

Figure 1 is aside elevation of an engine equipped with my invention;

Figure 2 is a partly sectional plan view with thGCUt-Qfil valves out ofaction;

Figure 3 is a view of a portion of the opposite side of the engine atthe. cross head and slide thereof;

Figure 4- is a detail in enlarged vertical section as indicated by theline t4, Figure I Figure 5 is afragmentary sectional plan view of thecylinder and valve chest showing the cut-off valves in action;

Figure 6 is a detail in cross section on the line 6-6, Figure 4;

Figures 7 and S are side elevations of elements entering into the tripmeans for the auxiliary valves. v

Figure9 is aview partly in section and partly in elevation, the viewbeing given to show the valves in elevation.

In the illustrated exa1nple,jthe numeral 10 indicates the base of theengine; 11, the steam cylinder; 12, the valve chest; 13, the pi t nred-s the r had; 1 it lid 1921. Serial no. 473,485.

1 5, the engine frame adjacent to the slide; 16, the connecting rod; and17, the crank pin for said rod on the engine shaft 18.

The above-mentioned elements may be of any approved form as may also bethe valve operating rod 19, here shown as associated with a known valvemotion the lever 22 of which has a stud 122 engaged by the gab element23 of the motion for actuating the.

stem 21 of ordinary valves 20. The numeral 24 ndicates the reversinglever of the valve motion.

In accordance with my invention I provide cut-off valves 25, 25auxiliary to the slide valves 20, said valves 25, 25 being in the sameplane as the main valve to operate over the same; valve seat surfaceand, the same live steam ports. The valves 25, 25 are on the heads 26,26 secured to the stems '27, '27? of the respective cut-01f valves 25,25*. One stem, 27*, is adapted to be tripped directly while the otherstem 27 is adapted to be tripped by means associated therewith saidmeans in the illustrated example being. as follows:

An arm29 is rigid with said stem 27 and with a rod 30 ranginglongitudinally of the eng ne on. The rear end 30 of the rodi30 is offsetupwardly and is provided with a member 33 thereon adapted to be tripped,said member being adjustable by a set screw 34:. The stem 27 of theother auxiliary valve 25 is providedwith a similar member 33 adapted tobetripped-and adjustably secured by a set screw 34;

I provide tripping means in association with the cross head 14consisting of platelike elements 35 secured to plates 36 pivotallysecured toa lateral pin 37 extending from the inner side of the crosshead 14. The plates 36 have-lateral pins 38 thereon adapted to slide onthe upper edge of plate 39 or equivalent frame member presenting astraight top edge. The plate 39 has transverse slots 40 through whichthe elements 33 and'33e-to be tripped extend into the path ofthetripping members 35. Each carrying plate 36 has a longitudinal slot 11*and a screw 41 projects through the trip element 35 into the slot 41 ofthe adjacent carrying plate. Thus, the screws 41 may be'loosened and thetrip elements 35 caused. to project more or less beyond the ends of theplates ts-for a ss h ripping actios s sis and slidable in bearings 31,32 there-' by engagement of the trips with the elements 33, 33 on therespective stems 27, 27 on the auxiliary valves 25, 25*. Also, thetripping elements 35 are formed each with a slot 43 and a guide pin 42projects from each carrying plate 36 into said slots 43 to guide themovement of the tripping element 35 to be adjusted and to prevent theirturning on the adjusting screws 41. In order to release the trippingelement 35 from the elements 33 after tripping action upon a movement ofthe tripping element in either direction, I provide cam surfaces 44 onthe plates 39 adapted, to be engaged by the screws 41 so that after apredetermined movement of an element 33 by the tripping element 35, theadjacent screw 41 will ride upwardly on the cam surface 44, therebycausing the tripping element 35 and its carrying arm 36 to swingupwardly with the pin 37 as an axis. In the continued movement of thetripping element 35 in response to a stroke of the cross head 14, thescrew 41 will ride along a raised surface 45 on plate 39.

In order to accurately adjust the trips 35 to coordinate the trippingaction thereof with the movements of the cross head 14 and the mainpiston, I provide a scale 46 on the slide 15 or on said slide and theadjacent frame part 15 a pointer 47 or equivalent indicating mark ordevice being produced'on the cross head 14 at the center. Thus, theindicating means 46, 47 permits of the trips being adjusted according toa given position of the piston to accurately time the tripping of thecut-off valves 25, 25 with the piston strokes.

For the purpose of optionally throwing the tripping elements 35 out ofaction, I

* provide a displacing element preferably in the form of a lift plate 48lying against the plate 39 and movable vertically to dispose the upperedge of the lift plate below the upper straight edge of the plates 39 orto give an upward movement to the lift plate 48 so that its upper edgewill engage the pins 38 on the plates 36 and swing said plates with thetripping elements 35 upwardly about the axis of the pin 37 so that inthe reciprocating of the trips by the pin 37, moving with the cross head14 the trip 35 will be above the planes of the elements 33 on the valvestems. Said lift plate 48 preferably is pivotally connected as at 49with one arm of a 'bellcrank lever 50 fulcrumed by a pin 51 whichextends through a vertical slot 52 in the plate 48 to allow clearancefor the latter in its up and down movements.

In operation, the valves 25, 25 are moved toward the valve 20 by themovement imparted to the valve rods 27, 27 and said valves 25, 25 arerestored to their original positions toward the ends of the valve chestby the movements of said valve 20. The movements imparted to the Valverods 27, 27 are regulated and determined by the adjustment of theplate-like elements 35 on the plates 36 through the medium of the slots41 and screws 41, said elements 35 projecting more or less beyond theplate 36 or to be positioned within the planes of the ends of said plate36, thereby deter mining the engagement of the trip elements 35 with theelements 33, 33 as previously described. It will be seen from the planview, Figure 2, and from Figure 4 that the elements 33, 33 are directlyin the path of movement of the elements 35 to be tripped by the latter.In the operation of the valve the described means referred to above fordetermining the engagement of the trip members result in no jamming ofthe main valve against the auxiliary valve while it is being positivelymoved by plate 35. The trip means move the valve 25 or 25 to a certainpoint determined by the adjustment and then release it, the auxiliaryvalve remaining stationary at that point until later when it is struckby the main slide valve and moved back.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated exampleconstitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limitmyself strictly 'to the exact details herein illustrated, sincemanifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure fromthe spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an engine of the class described, sliding valve means, andslidable auxiliary cutoff valves operative in one direction by saidvalve means and actuated in the opposite direction with the movements ofthe engine cross head.

2. In an engine of the class described, sliding main valve means,auxiliary cut-off valves, and trip means for the cut-ofi' valvesoperable by the cross head and adjustable to vary the tripping action,the cross head and its slide having correlated indicating means forcoordinating the adjustment of the trip means with the movements of thecross head and piston.

3. In an engine of the class described, sliding main valve means,auxiliary cut-off valves, means to cause the cut-off valves to beoperated by a reciprocating member of the engine, manually controlledmeans to throw the trip means out of action, and means for moving thecutoff valves in a direction opposite to the movement given by the tripmeans.

4. In an engine of the class described, sliding main valve means,cut-off valves having stems, trip means, trip-actuating means operablewith the cross head for engaging the stems of the cut-0E valves, cams torelease the trip means at the end of each stroke, means for moving thecut-off valves in a direction opposite to the movement given by the tripmeans, a displacing element for the trip means and adapted to move thelatter away from the plane of the cams, and a lever to actuate saiddisplacing element.

5. In an engine, cut-oft" valves, auxiliary to the main valve means,operating means for the cut-oil valve including a trip element, andn'ieans associated with the cutoff valves adapted to be engaged by saidtrip element for actuating the cut-off valves and positioning them forreturn movement by longitudinally to vary the main valve means, alateral pin on the engine cross head, carrying elements pivotallymounted on said pin, trip members on said carrying elements andadjustable the total efiective length of the said trip members, camsadjacent to the trip members, members on said tri members adaptedto'engage said cams at-each stroke of the cross head, and means formoving the cut-70E valves in a direction opposite to the movement givenby the trip members. 1

CHARLES R. GIBSON.

